now answer your question, social security has not added a penny to the federal debt, to the deficits every year. it has a surplus. it has a surplus of $2.7 trillion. so why are we in such a rush to change a program that does not have -- is not bankrupt, has a surplus, has 22 years of solvency before it does have a serious problem and has not contributed to the federal debt? >> and we can talk about these programs separately. we know that social security is considered to be in sounder shape than is medicare which is viewed as potentially running out of funds in the next few years, whereas social security -- but let's take them one at a time. when it comes to social security you have the simpson-bowles deficit reduction commission saying that if you don't deal with these programs you just can't be serious about getting your arms around this country's huge debt and deficit crisis. >> well, i go back to where i started. this program didn't add to the debt, hasn't contributed to the debt. we're not saying -- we're not a group that has our heads in the sand and is committed to never doing